DOCUMENTS

December 19, 2007

The Republican Party stands for many things, but three in particular make the difference: individual freedoms, free enterprise, and proper role of government is limited

That the Republican Party’s stand on these issues is what separates it from the Democrat Party. We believe that each individual has both the knowledge and the responsibility to be in charge of their own lives and decisions.

Government oversight is necessary to ensure laws are followed and people are treated equitably and equally under the law. But(!) we do not believe government should be in charge of how our money is spent or doled out to others. Taxation has become the new socialism; and taxing certain groups to benefit other groups has become a mechanism of division. Pitting one group against another via the ‘taking’ of income is tremendously divisive and only accomplishes disdain between groups.

Similar methods are used with race designations. Dividing a people by income or race achieves nothing more than denying individuality and forcing a Balkanization of a nation. Republicans believe in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., who said that we should “not be judged by the color of (our) skin but by the content of (our) character.”

Individual rights, and the freedoms that radiate from these rights, is the central premise of this nation. By allowing all individuals the capability to fulfill their full capacity as a person, this nation, like none before it, has released human ingenuity at levels never before comprehended. There is a reason so many people want to migrate to this great nation, and individual freedoms rank high on the list.

Tracers work both ways. [U.S. Army Ordnance]

Free enterprise has lifted more people and nations out of poverty and oppression than war. Free enterprise is what made this nation, this “Grand Experiment,” stand out as the best nation on earth. Unlike all other nations before, the United States of America allowed individuals to aspire to a social status and lifestyle which exceeded that of their parents or their perceived social class.

Free enterprise and the individual freedoms which accompany it were recognized very early in this nation. William Bradford, one of the Pilgrims and governor of the Plymouth colony, realized that the collectivism originally set forth in this nation, (basically socialism) would not work. There was no incentive to work and nothing to gain by forcing individuals into some form of a “level playing field.”

Governor Bradford instituted a new form of free enterprise whereby each individual had their own plot of land to do with as they saw fit. This invigorated the populace and allowed for a new and robust form of bartering and trade.

Individuals had the opportunity to better themselves and their position through hard work and smart planning. No longer would individuals be locked into a social class with no hope of ever aspiring to something better. This nation and those seeking its’ shores stood out from the rest of the world as opportunity exists. No other people or nation allowed for such individual achievement.

The proper role of government is a serious issue to the Republican Party. Government is a necessary and useful aspect to any nation. But its role should be limited as well as its oversight.

Our Constitution is based upon limiting the role of our government institutions, not broadening them. This truth has been twisted around and we now find ourselves in a circumstance of ever growing – and ever more powerful – government institutions. Either through misinterpretation or outright rewriting of the words in the Constitution, we have slipped to a point where rights exist that were never intended by our Founding Fathers.

Republicans have a deep respect and understanding of the Constitution and its original intent. We recognize it is a document meant to limit our government from intruding upon our lives and rights. Supporting judges, legal authorities, and standards to holding these truths to be self-evident is of supreme value to our principles.

Tomorrow, a view of a potential problem and the needs for the future.

fkeough@hotmail.com

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